Simple as Black and White
by fringegapkids
Summary: The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Only for the top pianists the world can offer, Castiel Novak couldn't possibly hope to win. And yet, he finds himself pursuing the impossible, struggling through his own chaotic life to reach the finish line. And maybe, just maybe, the green eyed man with bruises on his wrists who listens to classical music could help him. Destiel AU


_**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, nor any of the characters in it.**_

**A/N: **Hey guys! I'm just testing this story, seeing how you guys like it. It was just an idea I concocted one night while I was trying to sleep.

Just to make this clear, this is a piano story. The plot revolves around the Van Cliburn international piano competition, which is a real competition. However, the other competitors, the judges, and the general competition are fictional.

Enjoy!

* * *

The sounds of Beethoven's _Hammerklaviar_ resounded in the small, bare room, the convoluted melodies being wrung from the keys in an astounding flurry of movement. Graceful fingers, wrists, and hands led to a body that was alternatively tense and loose and screamed of fierce passion and something akin to joy. Nearly shaking with the force of the music, the ink black piano sang with such a power that anyone listening might have thought that the air itself was vibrating. The music soared and dipped and flew; at times it was quiet and dark, then seconds later brave and loud, slipping from minor to major in a fraction of a second. As the piece drew to a close, the player's tense face and tight shoulders eased, and he played the last chords with a grace that many would envy, his fingers playfully leaping from note to note as the piece closed. After the player had gently pressed down the last keys, the notes remained trembling in the air even as the room seemed to hollow out, ringing clear until they faded.

Silence.

Breaths.

Then, a slouched figure leaning against the door burst into applause, straightening up and slamming his hands together. Th harsh, brash sound, in stark contrast the the beautiful melodies of the piano, tore the piano player out of what seemed like a daze, and he snapped his head up, his chest still heaving with effort. Then he relaxed.

"Gabriel." Castiel said, relieved. "You startled me."

Gabriel grinned impishly and shrugged off of the wall, rolling his shoulders with the ease of a cat. "Sorry, Cassie." he said, obviously not the least bit remorseful.

Castiel rolled his eyes and remained on the piano bench as his brother joined him. "That was pretty good, though, Cassie," Gabriel added as he neared Castiel. "Best I've heard yet."

Castiel rubbed his eyes and sent a frustrated glare in the direction of the sheet music. "Yeah, well, it still wasn't good enough. Not nearly good enough for me to win -or even place- in the Cliburn." The Van Cliburn international piano competition, one of the most famous and important piano competitions in the world, was being held later that year in Texas, and Castiel was going to be competing in it. Castiel had auditioned last year, made it in as one of the contestants, and had spent nearly every waking minute after practicing his pieces. He was planning on going into the competition with Beethoven's _Hammerklaviar,_ Chopin's _Sonata in B flat minor_, and Liszt's _Sonata in B minor_. Three of the best and most difficult piano compositions ever written, Castiel had been buried in music for the past year, and it _still_ wasn't good enough. Castiel could play the pieces well enough, but it wasn't all about score-to-piano music, it was about each individual player's interpretation and depth of the music he or she played. And Castiel wasn't really very good at forging his own path; he had been brought up to be a rule follower, loyal and dedicated to facts and hard truth. The freedom that came with interpretation...Castiel just couldn't get used to it. And the judges would realize it, too.

Gabriel sighed, leaning forward until his elbows rested on the side of the piano. "Cassie, don't be self-deprecating. You're a fantastic piano player, and you don't need to win the Cliburn in order to know that you're good."

Castiel raised his eyebrows. "Wow, Gabe, a serious compliment? What is it, my birthday?"

Gabriel's grin widened. "No, I'm just trying to butter you up before telling you that I may or may not have outed to Dad."

Castiel nearly fell off of the bench. "What? Gabe- Gabriel- You- I-"

Gabriel tipped his head back, shaking with laughter. "Cassie, Cassie. Relax, I wouldn't do that. I'm mean, sure, but not that mean."

Castiel relaxed, but a line of tension was still evident in his shoulders. "Gabriel, God. You scared me."

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain." Gabriel joked, but his face softened in seriousness. "When _are_ you going to tell him that you're gay, Castiel? You can't wait forever. He's already started interrogating the rest of us about it. He's using Mom against us. It's not fair. And it's only a matter of time before Anna or Michael falls for the 'your mother would have wanted to know her own son, and so do I' or 'you would have told your mother, so why not me.'" Gabriel said, meeting Castiel's gaze.

Castiel sighed. "It's not that I'm scared that he's going to hate me for it-he was fine when you told him you, um, 'liked cock just as much as tits,'" As he said this sentence, Castiel's face scrunched up into an expression of discomfort. Gabriel's lips quirked up. "I just...I don't know. I guess I just don't want him to be..."

"Disappointed?" Gabriel said softly.

Castiel rubbed his face in his hands. "I don't know." he mumbled, his voice muffled. "I mean, it was different for you. Dad and the rest of us knew you were gay, or at least bi, for as long as I can remember, so it's really kind of the same for you since you came out. I haven't had a proper boyfriend since two years ago, and no one but you knew about it, and maybe he...I don't know. I just don't want him to treat me any differently, I guess." He remained still and silent for several seconds before shaking his head like a dog, springing off of the bench and wiping the solemn expression off of his face. "Let's go get ice cream." he said suddenly, taking several steps towards the door. "I can't stay in this room any longer. I'm going to go insane."

Gabriel hesitated before following Castiel out of the room, slamming the door behind them with a satisfying bang.

* * *

Castiel and Gabriel sat down on one of the scorching benches that lined the small ice cream shop close to their house, trying in vain to keep their hands and faces relatively ice-cream free. They had been sitting for a few minutes when Castiel felt a tap on his shoulder; turning around, he met eyes with a tall man. _Really_ tall. He loomed over Castiel and Gabriel, casting a shadow over them.

¨Hi," he said with an apologetic expression. ¨Um, would it be okay if my brother and I sat at the end of your bench? Or are you, um, sitting with someone else…?¨ he said, gesturing towards the end of the bench with hands that made his ice-cream cone look miniature.

Castiel opened his mouth to speak, but Gabriel beat him to it. ¨No, we're not sitting with anyone. You can sit.¨ Gabriel grinned, Castiel frowned. Was he... _flirting?_

The man smiled. ¨Thanks.¨ Turning his head, the man shouted at another figure standing nearby who was wearing earbuds and was apparently listening to music. ¨Dean! Hey-Dean!¨ he yelled, gesturing wildly with his massive paws. "Come here. I found us a seat." As the second man gave a thumbs up, nodded, and began to walk over, Castiel hurriedly went back to eating his ice-cream and tried not to look too interested in the two strangers.

After about thirty seconds of awkward complete silence, Castiel began to catch faint snatches of music coming from the second man earbuds. As the music continue Castiel sat uncomfortably for a few more seconds before leaning over and tapping the stranger's shoulder. "Is that Ravel?" Castiel asked once after the man had pulled out his earbuds.

"Um-yeah. _Gaspard de la nuit_. You know it?" The man asked, looking surprised, turning to face Castiel.

Castiel stared.

Wide green eyes, sweeping eyelashes, light smattering of freckles across golden skin, and lips that were made for kissing. He was the most beautiful man Castiel had ever seen.

"Er- yeah, I know it. I played it, for a while, but I quit after a few months. The piece, I mean. Not piano. I still do that." Castiel stammered, his mouth fumbling over the words.

The man looked faintly amused, but curiosity glimmered in his eyes. "You play? What pieces?" he asked, one of his eyebrows tugging up.

Castiel blinked. Not very many people he had met had expressed an interest into what music he played. How long he played, yes. How many competitions he had performed in, occasionally. Those who did ask what pieces he played normally only asked out of politeness and were bored and confused as Castiel rattled off the convoluted names of different compositions before nodding, pretending to know what he was talking about, and wandering off. But this man seemed like he was genuinely interested in Castiel's music.

"Um, well, lately I've only been playing three pieces: Beethoven's _Hammerklaviar,_ Chopin's_ Sonata in B flat minor_, and Liszt's _Sonata in B minor_, but I haven't perfected any of them. There are still many, many, flaws." Castiel murmured, trying not to let Gabriel -who was loudly and blatantly flirting with the other man- hear him talking himself down. Several times, Gabriel had heard Castiel downplay his playing ability, and immediately interrupted Castiel's conversation with loud compliments appraising Castiel, going on to talk about how 'wonderful' and 'amazing' and 'fantastic' Castiel was. It was embarrassing, and it always made Castiel uncomfortable. He didn't like praise, especially when he felt like he didn't deserve it.

The man nodded appreciatively. "That's cool. The _Hammarklaviar_ is a hard one. I've listened to it before, and it sounds like a bitch to play." he said, gesturing to his abandoned iPod.

Castiel nodded eagerly, hungry to discuss something that he finally _finally_ understood. "Yeah, I-"

"Dean." Castiel was interrupted by the other man, the brother, who looked a little flustered. Not far away, Gabriel was openly eyeing the other man's muscular form. Castiel's mouth snapped shut, and the man he had been talking to craned his head around. "We gotta go. It's half-past, and Dad said to be home by four, and you know how he gets." the brother said, shooting an almost apologetic glance at Castiel.

A shadow seemed to flicker in the green eyes of the man before Castiel, but it quickly disappeared. "Aw, Sammy, c'mon. Two more minutes? We can make it." the man said, leaning back into the bench.

"Dean. We are not going fifteen miles above the speed limit and running every single red light again." the brother said firmly.

"Alright, alright, keep your tampon in. Bitch." the man Castiel had been talking to grumbled, but there was no seriousness to it.

"Jerk." came the reply, and the man in front of Castiel rose gracefully from the bench, swiping his iPod into his leather jacket's pocket.

Before the two left, though, the man turned back to Castiel. "Sorry, I didn't even introduce myself." he said, his green eyes burning into Castiel's own. "I'm Dean."

Castiel rolled the name around in his mind. It fit. "Castiel." he replied, looking up at the other man -Dean-.

"Cool name." Dean flashed a quicksilver grin, offering his hand to Castiel. They shook. "See you around, Castiel."

And with that, he was gone.

It would be days before Castiel recalled that Dean's fingers twitched in time to the music -almost as if he were playing-, and weeks before he remembered the dark blue bruises spattered across his wrists in the shape of a handprint.

* * *

Castiel sat in the passenger seat of Gabriel's car in complete silence as his brother chattered nonstop, a lollipop dangling crazily out of the corner of his mouth.

"...and he's _totally_ gay -the hair, the clothes, they speak for themselves, really- and he was _definitely_ checking me out, and if we weren't in a public place I would have _totally-"_

"Gabriel." Castiel interrupted, exasperated. Gabriel stopped mid-sentence, the lollipop nearly dropping off of his tongue. "I think you might be misinterpreting the situation. Plaid doesn't really scream homosexuality, and his hair -well, just because it's 'long and luscious and deliciously straight...' it doesn't mean he isn't. And he was probably only staring at you because you were flirting about as subtly as if it were 3 am and you were hammered drunk. Which, I might add, I have seen firsthand. And it isn't pretty."

Gabriel sighed wistfully and leaned back, lounging in in the driver's seat like a content housecat. "Cassie, why do you have to be such a Debbie Downer all the time?" he said, but there was no seriousness in his tone, only light teasing. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "We're all allowed to dream sometimes. Besides," he said abruptly, taking his right hand off of the wheel to poke Castiel in the ribs. "I saw you making sex eyes at the brother the minute you saw him."

Castiel rolled his eyes, but a heated blush crept across his face, betraying him.

"See? Don't deny it, you like him." Gabriel crowed.

Castiel tilted his head towards Gabriel. "Gabriel, stop. You're being ridiculous. I don't-"

"Little Cassie has a cruuush," Gabriel crooned, interrupting Castiel. "What do you think the ship name should be? Deestiel? CasDean?"

Castiel shot his left arm out, catching Gabriel on the side of his face, knocking his out of his mouth and effectively shutting him up.

And as Gabriel spluttered and coughed and attempted to keep the car steady, Castiel allowed himself a smile.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! So, this is a bit different from my other fanfiction, The Abyss Gazes Also_._ Still, I hope you liked it!

If any of you have any questions or comments, just type in a review, or you can message me personally (I think, I'm not entirely sure).

Thanks for reading, and stick around for more!


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